In vitro anti-mycobacterial property and phytochemical profiling of Senna auriculata and Trachyspermum copticum

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a contagious disease that is the leading cause of death by a single causative organism. The present study aims to investigate and assess the anti-mycobacterial property of some traditionally important medicinal plants and analyze their phytochemical constitution. The extracts of some plants based on their medicinal importance were checked for their activity against M. smegmatis using anti-mycobacterial disc diffusion plate assay. Aqueous extracts of Senna auriculata, Trachyspermum copticum and Musa spp. were tested against M. smegmatis. Further Senna auriculata and Trachyspermum copticum extracts were taken to bioactivity guided sequential extraction. On screening, ethyl acetate extract of S. auriculata, T. copticum and methanol extract of S. auriculata showed considerable inhibition with an average zone of inhibition of about 2 cm dia against M. smegmatis. Further phytochemical analysis was done to narrow down the class of compounds that might be responsible for the inhibitory activity. The tests revealed the presence of some important group of natural compounds like alkaloids, anthocyanins, tannins, β- cyanins, coumarins and terpenoid. GC-MS analysis of the samples showed some biologically important compounds with potent anti-tubercular activity.